Deflocculated graphite and process of deflocculation thereof.



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EDWARD GOODRICH STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ACHESON, OF STAMFORD TOWNSHIP, WELLAND Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed December 10, 1906- Serial No- 347.185.

To alltwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G-oonnion Aon- ESON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and residing at Stamford township, Welland county, Province ofOntario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful fiocculatedGraphite and Processes of Deflocculation Thereof, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a novel graphite product or article which I havetermed deflocculated graphite and to the method of producing the same,or to the deflocculation of graphite; and it consists in a new producthaving the characteristics substantially as hereinafter set forth andthe method by which the new product or article is produced.

In the use of unctuous graphite as a lubricator it is well known thatthe molecules have a tendency to coalesce or flocculate intomeasurable-sized particles, and in this condition it is not miscible inwater or oil and will not remain suspended or float in such vehicles,and for this reason the use of the unctuous graphite as a lubricantunder certain conditions is difficult or impossible.

I have discovered that it is practicable to so treat unctuous graphitethat it is miscible with water, oil, &c., and will float or remainsuspended therein, and the unctuous graphite can thus be readily used asa lubricant 1n and various ways, as m the lubricawhen it is mixed or inconnection with mixed or suslished the many tion of steam-engines,suspended in water, and bearin s or similar parts when pends in oil.This may be accomp y the addition to or the treatment of unctuousgraphite of or with what I term a modifying or defioccul'ating agent.Different agents may be em loyed, and I have discovered that the deocculation of the a bits can be accomplished by treatment wit an agenthaving the astringent tannic principles contained in nutgalls,tea-leaves, catechu, sumac, hemlock-bark, oak-bark, cutch, and manyother barks, leaves, nuts, and Woods, all of which contain tannin or arecapable of those reactions that are recognized as or considered due totannin.

The word tannin as I herein use it is not confined to gallotannic acidor to any one of the many compounds known to chemistry as tannic acids,but to the entire class. Watts Dictionary of Chemistry, underImprovements in Dethe caption of Tannin and Tannic acids,

. states: Under the above names are included a large series ofcompounds'occurring 1n the vegetable kingdom of different constitutions,many of which have been very imperfectly studied. Therefore, while I usethe term modifying or deflocculating agents, I would define them intheir application to this descriptive matter as being broader and moregeneral than that above attributed to the word tannin," and I includeany compound derived from vegetable matter containing the activeprinciple necessary for the production of the changes or modificationsor transformations herein specified as occurring with relation to thegraphite used in the manner set forth. Thus an aqueous infusion ofcommon straw, while not perhaps recognized as tannin or conta'ningtannin, has in this connection proven to be quite as efficient as thesimilar use of gallotannic acid.

My invention may be carried out in many and vario: s Ways, and for p"rposes of ill: stration I will describe one specific way by the use ofwhich I have prodt ced satisfac-.

tory rest lts; Generally speaking, the graphite is treated to tannin,preferably in the form of gallotannic acid, or with a solution ofextract of straw or other equivalent modifying agent as above indicated.Ihave found that the proportion of tannin used in connection with theaphite may vary, and I have produced satisfactory results by the use offrom two to-ten per cent. of tannin with respect to the amount ofgraphite treated. In thus producing the defiocculation of the gra hite,tannin, referably in the form of gal otannic acid, is dissolved in waterand the resulting solution is added to the graphite, or the dry tanninmay be mixed with the dry graphite and both added to the water. Theresulting effect is increased by time. The time, however, can be reducedby the use oi a similar solution, which may be added to the graphite to.-form a soft paste, and by working this paste more or less continuouslyI have produced equally good effects, if not greater, Within two hourstime. By agitating the modifying or deflocculating agent and graphite inany suitable way tpe ts time can be reduced and satisfactory resuobtained.

The improved product or defloccnlated graphite is miscible w1th waterand oil and will remain in suspension or float therein and is this in acondition to be practically used as a lubricant under the best and mostfavorable conditions. Thus when mixed and sizspended in water it can befed into the cylinder of a steam-engine as oil is now fed by any of theaccepted oiling devices, and especially when used in this way insteam-engines, where high temperatures are carried, the water will beconverted into steam and the defloccnlated graphite W01 ld be depositedand Lsed as a lLbIICLl'lt on the walls of the cylinder. So, too, whenthe deflocc1.lated graphite is mixed with oil it can be applied tobearings and be thoroughly spread over the working parts and produce themost satisfactory lpbrication. F1 rthermore, if the deflocctlatedgraphite be placed 1n a crucible and brought to a red heat and afterwardmixed with oil it settles q ickly, apparently having lost the effectprod'rced y the modifying or deflocci lating agent as a result of thered So,'too, I have fo: nd that when the deflocct lated graphite isdried out thoro"ghly at a temperatmre of 212 and suspended in oil aftera limited time it commences to settle, and the same is true with thegraphite th: s treated when s1ispended in water. From this it appearsthat the defloccirlat'ed graphite, which remains suspended in water oroil is in a molecz lar sized particles, and that these particles willsettle more or less rapidly and vsill not remain suspended or floatingin the water or oil. however, the graphite is deflocmanner abovedescribed, there tendency of its separating and settling; but it remainsfloating in the water or oil in apparent suspension, being thor-Witnesses ovghly miscible therewith. Furthermore, I i have foznd thatthe 1' ntreated rnctuotis i graphite when mixed with water and thrown 1pon a filter-paper the graphite will not pass thro: gh the filter, thefiltrate being perfectly clear, whereas sz' spension in water whenthrown on a filterpaper the graphite will pass throi'gh the finefilterpaper with the water with apparent ease. What I claim is l 1. Anew product being defiocculated graphite comprising iinctuocs graphitetreated with a deflocc: lating agent having efi'ects like those d1 e tothe effects of tannin thereon,

possessing the characteristic of being nxiscible with water and oil andbeing stspended therein.

2. A new product being deflocculated graphite comprising unctuotsgraphite treated with gallotannic acid as a deflocctla'ting agent andhaving the characteristic of bein 1 1r isr ible with and suspended inwater, oil an the like.

3. A method of deflocculating graphite, thereby rendering itmisciblewith water, oil, &c., which consists in treating graphite with adeflocclating agent having effects on the graphite like those due to theeffects of tannin on said graphite.

4. A method of defloccrlating graphite, thereby rendering it misciblewith water, oil, &c., which consists in treating the graphite with adeflocc'alating agent comprising gallotannic acid.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD GOODRICH ACHESON.

WILLIAM AoHEsoN SMITH, FLORENCE MYRTLE KYSOR.

deflocct lated graphite after.

